Drifting Easy by Sue Foster

“What are Fish Bites? Why are bloodworms so expensive?”

Bloodworms are expensive because they come from Maine and Canada.  Dollar 
per pound, they are Maine’s most valuable marine resource. The 1999 landing 
was 514,717 pounds and was valued at $2,887,729.  They are labor intensive 
to harvest. Worm pickers go out at low tide and physically dig the worms out 
of the mud. Then there is the expense of flying them to the distributors and 
distributors’ expense of getting them to the tackle stores.

Over the years, labor has gone up and we all know about gas prices and the 
price of overnight freight.  To top it off, bloodworms got hard to get for a 
few years, as demand seemed to exceed the supply. Bloodworms got smaller and 
smaller.  Over harvest was and IS a big problem in Maine.  There is also a 
big demand for bloodworms overseas to feed shrimp and exotic fish.

When Fishbites Bag O’ Worms bloodworm came out, the demand for bloodworms in 
Maine for bait was slightly curbed. The price of bloodworms even came down a 
little, but freight prices went up, keeping bloodworms the same retail price 
of around $10 per dozen. (A few years ago they exceeded this price.)


Fishbites Bloodworm Alternative look like strips of bubblegum in a little 
package. The material is impregnated on a piece of cheesecloth type 
material. You simply cut a piece of this strip off and hook it on your hook 
and use it instead of real bloodworm. They retail a few dollars less than 
bloodworms, work just as well, and are not perishable.

Below is the explanation from the Fishbite Internet site that explains how 
the Fishbites work:

Fishbites works on the same principles that natural cut baits do. You have a 
piece of exposed flesh with a hook in it. The exposed flesh releases juices 
that dissolve into the water and create a scent trail. Fish detect the 
juices, then track and attempt to eat the flesh, and with a little luck - 
you hook 'em. Fishbites is merely an extremely convenient and easy to use 
alternative to natural cut bait and it performs the same exact function. It 
dissolves in water releasing feeding stimulants. The fish track those 
stimulants and when they bite down on Fishbites, they also get the flavor 
and feel the flesh-like texture of a natural cut bait.  The advantages 
Fishbites has over natural cut baits are that these feeding stimulants are 
many times more refined and potent than what occurs in nature. The other 
advantage it has over natural cut bait is that it can withstand numerous 
attacks by bait stealers and allow you to wait for the fish you really want. 
And even if nothing hits it, Fishbites will stay the hook for many-many 
casts...the bait can last between 15 and 30 minutes in the water.

“What kind of fish do I use Fishbites Bag O’ Worms bloodworm alternatives 
for?”

Simply use them for any fish you would use bloodworms for. Norfolk spot, 
croaker, and kingfish are the main species of fish we use bloodworms here in 
Ocean City. Trout, stripers, tautog, and drum will also take them.

“I’m fishing in the surf!”

Use the Fishbites Bag O’ Worms instead of bloodworms if you are fishing with 
small hooks and targeting kingfish, croaker, or spot. If you are using large 
hooks, you are better off with cut bait such as bunker, squid, or cut spot 
or mullet.

“How big of a strip do I use?”

I use about a half-inch and hook it once or twice on a kingfish rig.  The 
whole trick to baiting up with Fishbites is to bait up DRY.  Once the 
Fishbites get wet the strip becomes sticky and hard to manipulate. Fishbites 
is good for catching three or four fish or for about a half hour of fishing. 
Once you’ve caught a couple fish or have had several bites the Fishbite 
material will begin to wear off and you will see a fine white mesh that the 
Fishbite material was impregnated to. When you see this, it’s time to put a 
fresh strip of Fishbites on. You can leave the old one on the hook until all 
the red is gone and simply put another next to it, or you can cut it off. 
Don’t try to pull it off once it’s wet or you’ll get the red stuff all over 
your fingers.

“Can I use Fishbites bloodworm alternative with other baits?”

Certainly!  I do this all the time. Just like real bloodworm, you can use 
Fishbites in combination with other baits.  Use a little strip of squid and 
a strip of Fishbites bloodworm alternative on the same hook for a double 
whammy to catch kingfish, trout, flounder, spot, and bluefish. You will get 
a bigger looking bait for larger fish, plus you’ll get two smells at once. 
This is good for the fish out there that also eat other baits besides 
bloodworm.  You can also combo the Fishbites bloodworm alternative with 
little strips of fresh bunker, fresh spot, fresh cut bluefish, mullet 
fillet, or bait shrimp.  Fresh cut bait on your hook with a strip of 
Fishbites can make a deadly combination.

Fishbites lasts longer on the hook then cut bait. So if the crabs or a 
sneaky fish eats off your cut bait, you’ll still have the Fishbites on your 
hook. You can’t catch fish without bait on your hook!

I also like to combo Fishbites Bloodworm Alternative with other flavors of 
Fishbites such as Crab or Shrimp.  Crab flavored pieces of Fishbites are 
thicker than the bloodworm variety and last even longer. These are good when 
bait stealers such as croakers are out there!  I also like the combination 
bait for kingfish. It gives the angler a bigger bait and hopefully, bigger 
fish. But always take the bloodworm alternative flavor for a first choice. 
It’s the best one!

“I’m taking my kids to Northside Park at 127th Street or to the park at the 
Isle of Wight off Route 90 to catch little fish.”

These areas are shallow and Norfolk spot, small croaker, and sand perch are 
the fare. Bloodworms or the Artificial Bloodworm Alternative is your best 
bet in these upper areas of the bay. Use a small size #6 or #8 hook on a top 
and bottom rig with a small strip of the Bag O’ Worm Fishbites, or thread a 
piece of real bloodworm on the hook. Combo it with a little strip of squid 
if you like.

“I’m in the bay drifting for flounder. Should I use Fishbites?”

Flounder’s main diet is live minnows or frozen shiners. After you have put 
on your live minnow through the lips or a shiner through the eyes, you can 
tip your hook with a strip of real squid or you can use Fishbites.  A strip 
of Fishbites Bloodworm about an inch and a half long makes a really pretty 
bait.  A strip of the new Fishbites EZ squid also makes a deadly bait. But 
should you use Fishbites alone for flounder?  No.

Croaker?  That’s another story. Croaker love squid or they love Fishbites. 
A combination bait of the two is great for the larger croaker. They are bait 
stealers, so the tough baits will last on the hook longer so you can hook 
them. They’ll take any of the flavors of Fishbites.

Spot?  If you’re after eating sized spot, stick with the bloodworm 
alternative flavor of Fishbites or use real bloodworms. You don’t need to 
tip it with anything as spot like nothing more than bloodworms. If you are 
after bait sized spot for bait, cut the Fishbites bloodworm alternative into 
very small pieces and use them on a spot rig or a Sabiki Bait Rig. Invest in 
a good pair of scissors so you can cut the tiny pieces of mesh off the hook 
after the Fishbite bait is gone.

“Do you use Fishbite bloodworm alternative?”

Yes, I haven’t used a real bloodworm in over a year!  The only time I think 
a real bloodworm will out perform the synthetic bait is early in the season 
when anglers are targeting stripers in the surf with bloodworms. The company 
is working on a cold-water formula for the bloodworm alternative, so even 
that may change in the future!

“Do the real worms still work?  I want my kids to have the experience of 
using a real worm!”  Of course they do, just sometimes they aren’t 
available. You can always buy night crawlers for the real bait experience, 
and tip them with a strip of Fishbites Bag O’ Worm bloodworm alternative.

“I tried them and didn’t catch any fish!”

If you used them once and didn’t catch fish chances are real bloodworms 
wouldn’t have worked that day/time either. It’s possible the fish weren’t 
biting that day or you weren’t in the “right place at the right time!”

“Do they go bad?”

The only thing that can happen to them is that they may lose their color 
after months in a hot tackle box. The best place to store them is in the 
refrigerator. The bloodworm alternative color last longer than the crab and 
shrimp flavors. Even if they lose their color, they will still work. Once 
you get your wet fingers on a piece do not put it back in the package with 
the others. And lastly, you don’t want to leave them on the dash of your car 
in 120-degree heat or they may stick together!

Happy fishing…

 

 
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